|
DEPARTMENT
OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
P R E
S S R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph
2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines
Tel. No. 834-4000 |
SFA-AGR-683-07
24
Aug 2007
ISTANBUL
COURT
DISMISSES DRUG
TRAFFICKING CASE
AGAINST CREWMEMBERS OF FEDERAL
FUJI
24 August 2007—A
Filipino ship captain and four of his crew were acquitted on 22 August 2007 by a
criminal court judge in
Istanbul
on charges of smuggling marijuana into
Turkey
.
In a report to
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Philippine Ambassador to Turkey
Bahnarim A. Guinomla stated that the 14th criminal court in
Istanbul
found no evidence to substantiate the charge against Captain Reynaldo Derige,
Second Officer Julio N. Cagampan, Chief Engineer Othoniel P. Bungalso, Chief
Officer Alberto Jose and Bosun Franciscio E. Pontillas.
The case against
Derige and his crew stemmed from the discovery of marijuana which was encased in
a metal containers and attached to the bottom of the ship Federal Fuji which
they were manning.
When the ship
docked in
Turkey
on 11 May 2007, it was raised in a shipyard for routine maintenance.
It was then that Captain Derige saw the metal containing the marijuana
and immediately called the attention of the authorities, which act was given
weight by the court in acquitting him and the other seafarers.
Following the
dismissal of the case, Ambassador Guinomla asked Mrs. Ana Maria Cristina
Oben-Nazareno, Vice President of Wallem Maritime Services, Inc., to help
coordinate the early repatriation of Capt. Derge and his crew with the shipping
agent in
Istanbul
.
Ambassador
Guinomla also sent Attaché Douveylito A. Tangcay to
Istanbul
to coordinate with the lawyers of Capt. Derige, the representatives of the
shipping agencies and immigration authorities to render whatever consular
assistance might be required. END
/Gary
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